My first Black Bear encounter here on my farm in Jackson County Ohio, USA. It was today May13th, 2026 at 1:40 PM.
I was seated in just a pair of shorts nearly dozing off on the pond dam to my farm pond behind my house when I heard very very footsteps walking down hill in the North East corner of my pond. I was seated in the chair in the pic provided in the Southwest corner of the pond at 1:40PM 13:40 hrs. I thought what hunter got lost and wandered onto my property and is walking down to ask me directions. There are no farms or homes for at least one square mile in any direction of my farm. Then I heard the footsteps stop just out of my sight in the woods just behind the pond, the wind was blowing from the South to the Northeast, and as the footsteps stopped I heard the distinctive sound of a Bear Huffing and Snorting a warning like I have heard when out bear hunting in Canada. The warning sound they give off when they smell something they do not like and want to warn that something not to come closer and that something needs to move off. This went on for four minutes straight and thinking I did not want a bear attack I went to the house and retrieved a 45-70 riffle and walked back to my chair. I heard the bear turn and move up hill quickly from that point now 1:45 pm 13:45 hours. I sat down in my chair outside for the next couple of hours and relaxed semi nervous like and could not doze off like I had planned initially to for some reason. The bear probably smelled the pond water first before smelling me and being in a mild Drought it only probably wanted a drink of water and maybe to fish some itself.